Loud means making a lot of noise or having a high volume of sound. When your alarm clock goes off in the morning, it's loud enough to wake you up. A rock concert is loud, a whisper is quiet, and normal conversation falls somewhere in between.

Volume isn't the only thing that makes something loud. A sound can seem loud because it's sudden and unexpected, like when someone drops a metal tray in a cafeteria. Even a relatively quiet sound seems loud when you're trying to concentrate in a silent library.

The word can also describe colors or patterns that grab your attention forcefully. A loud shirt might have bright, clashing colors that are hard to ignore, like neon yellow and hot pink stripes. When someone dresses in a loud way, their outfit demands attention just like a loud sound does.

People sometimes describe personalities as loud when someone talks a lot, speaks at high volume, or takes up a lot of social space in a room. This isn't always negative: some situations need someone confident enough to speak up loudly and be heard. But constantly being the loudest voice in every situation can make it hard for others to contribute or feel comfortable.